Apparatus for impregnating water with radium emanations.



S. SAUBERMANN. APPARATUS FOR IMPREGNATING WATER WITH RADIUM EMANATIONS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2?. I914 Patented Sept. 4, 191?.

SIEG'MUND SAUBERMANN, OF CHARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR IMPREGNATING WATER WITH RADIUM EMANATIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 191?.

Application filed June 27. 1914. Serial No. 847,638.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIEGMUND SAUBER- MANN, doctor of med, ofCharlottenburg, in the Kingdom of Prussia, and in the State of Germany,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus forImpregnating Water with Radium Emanations, and do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates particularly to an apparatus designed fortransferring radium emanations to water so that the water may acquirethereby medicinal properties giving the water therapeutic value.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus in which radiumemanations from various compounds and substances giving oft suchemanations may be introduced into a body of water or similar liquid usedfor drinking purposes whereby the water or the liquid may acquire andhold the radium emanations until the water may be taken into the systemof a patient so as to permit the patient to take advantage of thetherapeutic qualities of the liquid.

My invention comprises in general a main impregnating receptacle whichis adapted to contain a body of water or other liquid adapted to beintroduced into the body of a patient, said impregnating receptaclehaving contained within the same a porous cell containing a compound orsubstance adapted to give ofl' radium emanations, said cell beingsupported in the center of the impregnating receptacle in any suitablemanner and being provided with an upwardly directed tube which givesaccess of the water or other liquid to the interior of the cell, and inaddition to the above a storage or supply receptacle having an outletfitting into the top of the impregnating receptacle in order to maintaina constant and uniform quantity of water adjacent to the radium cell, sothat the water may be uniformly impregnated with the emanations from thecell. At the top of the storage receptacle there is a combined fillingopening and vent which is normally closed with a stopper. In addition tothis. a draw-ofi is provided for the impregnated liquid.

While my invention is capable of embodiment in many difierent forms, forthe purpose of illustration I have shown only one form thereof in theaccompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus made in accordance with myinvention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the support for the radiumcell;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the radium cell carried by the support;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of another detail of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a .vertical section through the portion of the apparatuscarrying the radio active substances Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectionthrough the same; and,

Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the outer container of the radium cell.

In the drawing I have shown an impregnating receptacle 1 having anoutlet pipe 2 and stop cock 3. This impregnating receptacle is adaptedto contain in its interior a radium cell 4 which has a number ofvertical slits 5 in the side thereof, the purpose of which will befurther described, and a num ber of holes 5 in the bottom thereof forthe discharge of water which has passed through the cells 4. At the topof the radium cell 4 there is attached a glass conduit tube 6 whichprovides access for the liquid entering the radium cell 4. The glasstube 6 is supported in a cork 5 which closes the top of the radium celland has a flange 5 on its lower end to hold the tube in position. Theradium cell 4 has on its interior a body 6*, Figs. 4, 5 and 6, forproducing radium emanations which comprises two plates 6 of any suitablematerial to protect the radium containing substance and of such acharacter as to permit the passage of radium emanations. On one of theseplates and between the two plates there is provided a layer of anysuitable material 6' adapted to give ofi radium emanations such forexample as radium sulfate or radium carbonate or a compositioncontaining the same. Radium sulfate or radium carbonate is practicallyinsoluble in water. The plates 6 may be composed of filter paper strips,porous porcelain, asbestos, or porous celluloid, the only requisitebeing that they be permeable to radium emanations and suficiently solidto efiectively prevent the current of water passing through the cell 4from washing away the radium emanating material. The plates 6 aresurrounded by protective wrapping of asbestos 6 or other permeableretaining covering and around the wrappin 6 and extending radially thereare place a numher of plates 6 of the same material as the. plate 6 andalso permeable to radium emanations. The radial plates 6 are spaced fromone another by an intermediate packing of pebbles 6. Inside of the cell4 and closely fitting the inner wall of the same is a cylindrical glasstube 6 having upon its inner and outer surface a substance adapted togive of? radium 'emanations and preferably also a luminescent substance,such as radium sulfate or carbonate, visible through the slots 5, thepurpose of which is to produce a subjective elfect upon the patient. Thespace between the glass tube 6 and the body 6 is filled with pebbles 6or other granular inert material so as to further provide a tortuouspassage for the Water moving through the cell. The impregnatingreceptacle 1 preferably has at its top a restricted neck 7, the innersurface of which is ground in order to provide a water tight fit over adownwardly directed collar 8 carried upon the lower end of a storagerecep tacle 9, having a hole 9 in its bottom into which the tube 6 fits.The storage receptacle 9 has a ncbk 10, which acts as a combined fillingopening and vent, the hole in the neck being closed by a stopper 11,except when it is desired to draw off the impregnated liquid or to renewthe supply of water or other liquid to be introduced into the apparatus.

In order to support the radium cell 4 in the approximate center of theimpregnating receptacle 1, the former is supported upon an annularsupport 12 which has a plurality of radially directed guides 13 toposition the radium cell 4 in the center of the impregnatingreceptacle 1. This annular support 12 is itself supported in the centerof the impregnating receptacle 1 by an annular boss or guide 14 formedinto the bottom of the impregnating receptacle 1.

In the operation of the apparatus, assuming that the apparatus is emptyand that the various parts thereof are dismantled, the annular support12 is placed in the bottom of the impregnating receptacle 1 lnside ofthe annular boss or guide 14. The radium cell 4 is then inserted so thatit rests on the projections 13 so that the radium cell 4 thereby becomespositioned in substantially the center of the impregnating receptacle 1,and thereby enabling the water to pass out freely from the holes 5 inthe bottom of the radium cell 4. The impregnating receptacle 1 is thenfilled with water, preferably water that is not carbonated, or any otherliquid with which the radium emanations are to be impregnated until saidliquid completely fills the impregnating receptacle 1. The storagereceptacle 9 is then tightly fitted into the neck 7 of the impregnatingreceptacle 1 in such a manner that the liquid cannot escape through thejoint between the v impregnating receptacle and the storage receptacle.The storage receptacle 9 is now completely filled with water or otherliquid which is to be subjected to the action of the emanations. Thewater or other liquid may now be drawn of from time to time from theoutlet pipe 2 by turning the stop-cock 3 for therapeutic purposes, thestopper 11 being removed whenever it is found necessary to draw oilwater from the impregnating receptacle. In operating the apparatus careshould be taken to maintain a sufiicient quantity of the water or otherliquid in the apparatus to retain the level of the same above the neck 7of the impregnating receptacle 1 so that the emanations from the radiumcell 4 will at all times afi'ect substantially the same quantity ofwater or other liquid, that is to say, the quantity contained Within theimpregnating receptacle 1. It will thus be seen that in the operation ofthe apparatus all 05 the water must pass from the storage receptacle 9through the radium cell 4.

By the use of this apparatus the water or other liquid is brought intocontact with the radium cell in such an intimate and regular manner thatthe water or other liquid is impregnated with the emanations so that it,at all times, has at least the minimum required strength therebyinsuring the correct strength of the dosage.

While l have described my invention above in detail, 1 wish it to beunderstood that many changes may be made therein without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A radio active cell comprising a plurality of protective platemembers permeable to radium emanations, a radio active substance betweensaid plate members, and a protective wrapping permeable to waterincloslng said plate members, and constituting combined retaining meansand covering to prevent the escape of said radio active material fromsaid cell.

2. A radio active cell comprising a central core body containing a radioactive central member with a protective wrapping, a plurality ofradially extending plates about said central body, and an exterior container inclosing said core and radial plates.

3. A radio active cell comprising a central core body containing a radioactive central member with a protective wrapping, a plurality ofradially extending plates of material permeable to radium emanationsabout said central body, an exterior container inclosing said core andradial plates, and a filling of granular material in the space betweensaid radial plates and the wall of said container.

4. In combination, an impregnating receptacle, a radium cell within saidreceptacle, a supply receptacle, and a communicat tube connecting theinterior of said supp y receptacle with the interior of said radiumcell.

5. In combination, an impregnating receptacle having an o ning at thetop thereof, a radium cell wit said receptacle, a supply receptaclemounted adjacent the top of said impregnating receptacle, and acommunicating tube extending through said opening and connecting theinterior of said supply receptacle with the interior of said radiumcell.

6. In combination, an impregnating receptacle adapted to contain aliquid, a substantially cylindrical radium cell therein having axiallyextending circulation passages and discharge ports therefor, a supplyreceptacle mounted above said radium cell, a support member for saidradium cell spacing the same from the bottom of said impregnatingreceptacle whereby circula-- tion of liquid through said cell and aboutthe same is efl'ected, and a communicating tube connecting the interiorof said supply receptacle to the interior of said radium cell, said tubeand cell constituting the sole connecting passage from said supplyreceptacle to said impregnating receptacle.

7. In combination, an impregnating receptacle, a radium cell thereinhaving circulation openings in the bottom thereof, and a support at thebottom of said receptacle having a plurality of arms supporting saidradium cell and spacing said cell from the bottom of said receptaclewhereby circulation of liquid through said openings. and about said cellis efiected.

8. In combination, an impregnating receptacle, a radium cell thereinhaving an inlet opening and discharge passages in the bottom thereof, asupply receptacle communicating with said impregnating receptaclethrough said cell, and a support at the bottom of said receptacle havinga plurality of arms supporting said radium cell and spacing the samefrom the bottom of said receptacle whereby. circulation through saidoutlet openings and about said cell is permitted.

9. In combination, an impregnating receptacle, a radium cell therein,and a supply receptacle for furnishing material to be treated to saidradium cell, said impregnating receptacle, radium cell and supplyreceptacle being connected so as to maintain a constant amount ofmaterial in said impregnating receptacle to be treated under theinfluence of said radium cell.

10. In combination, a supply receptacle, an impregnating receptacle, aradium cell within said impregnating receptacle comprising anouter-casing having intake and discharge ports and a centrally locatedradium emanating unit within said casing and communicating meansconnecting said supply receptacle and said radium cell whereby materialto be treated enters said cell from said supply receptacle and passesover said radium emanating unitin even amounts on all sides thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

HZ J l I Witnesses: I

FRIEDEL f r r SCHWARTZ.

. Docroa or Man.

